Surface-smoothing apparatus



Aug. 12, 1930. OWEN 1,773,060

SURFACE SMOOTHING APPARATUS Filed May '7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Bnnentor Gem Owew,

Q (It omega Aug. 12 i930. s, OWEN SURFACE SMOOTHING- APPARATUS Filed May '7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES SETH OWEN, OF BUCKLEY, WASHINGTON SURFACE-SMOOTHING APPARATUS Application filed May 7, 1928. Serial No. 275,711.

My invention relates to apparatus designed for use in smoothing the surfaces of roads, golf courses, ball grounds, race tracks and the like, and it is my purpose, generally speaking to provide relatively inexpensive, strong,

durable, eificient apparatus for such use consisting essentially of a stiff broom formed from steel or other suitable material adapted to remove irregularities in surfaces by a sweeping action, and adapted for use either as an attachment for a road working machine such as a scarifier, scraper or the like, or as a self-contained unit in connection with or independently of other apparatus, being adapted, when used as an independent unit to be self-propelled or drawn by a truck or in any other suitable manner.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention a stiff broom is mounted on a wheeled frame which is adapted for attachment to a motor truck or other suitable propelling means, and it is my more specific purpose to provide means for tilting said frame to move said broom into and out of an operative position, and to provide means whereby said broom may be adjusted about horizontal and vertical axes to dispose it for most efficient operation according to the nature of any particular surface to be swept thereby.

Vith the foregoing and other purposes in View, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accom panying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a surface smoothing device constructed in accordance with my invention and showing by dotted line the manner in which the broom of said device is adjustable about a vertical axis;

Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section through my surface smoothing device; and

Fig. 3, a View similar to Fig. 2 showing my device adjusted to dispose the broom thereof in an inoperative position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A

designates generally a frame formed preferably from angle or channel iron and consisting of a pair of spaced side rails 10, 10 connected together at their rear ends by a transverse rail 12 and extended relatively inward and joined together at their forward ends as indicated at 14. An axle 16 is suitably connected, as by means of brackets 18, to the side rails 10 and has wheels 20 rotatably mounted on the ends thereof whereby said frame is supported for movement over a surface to be smoothed.

Rigidity mounted upon the frame A is a plate 22 and a bracket 24, the former of which extends transversely across said frame forwardly of the rail 12 and is riveted or otherwise suitably secured at its ends to the side rails 10, 10, while the latter is secured in any preferred manner to the rail 12 intermediate the ends thereof.

A substantially U-shaped broom carrying frame B, consisting of a semi-circularly shaped rail 26 the arms 28, 28 of which are connected by a rail 30, is mounted on the frame A with the rail 26 overlying and rest ing upon the plate 22 and with the rail 80 overlying and resting upon the bracket 24, a pin 32 being passed through alined openings in said rail 30 and said bracket 24 whereby said frame B is pivotally connected to the frame A for rotary adjustment in a horizontal plane with respect thereto.

Secured to the plate 22 is a curved plate 34 having a lip 36 overlying a portion of the rail 26 of the frame B for cooperation with the pin 32 in rotatably connecting said frame B to the frame A, said lip 36 having an opening therein for the reception of a pin 38 and said rail 26 having a series of spaced openings 40 therein any one of which is adapted to be alined with the opening in said lip to receive said pin whereby the frame B may be secured in different rotatably adjusted positions.

The broom C of my device may be of any preferred construction, consisting essentially of numerous stiff bristles 42, formed from steel or other suitable material, secured at their upper ends to a bar 44, said broom being of any desired width and length, and being formed, if desired, in sections which may be individually secured to and removed from the bar 44.

Rigidly secured to the bar 44 and rising therefrom is a pair of spaced arms 46, 46, each having two series of openings therein, one series 48 being located near the upper or free ends of said arms and the other series 50 being located in said arms adjacent to the bar 44. Said arms are so spaced as to extend upwardly alongside the arms .28, 28, respectively, of the frame B and are pivotally connected to said arms 28, 28 by pins 52 whereby the brush C may be swung about a horizontal axis to different angularly adjusted positions, the openings 50 being ada ted to selectively receive said pins 52 where y the brush also is ad'ustable vertically with respect to the frame Pivoted as at 54, 54 to the arms 28, 28, re-

spectively, of the frame B, inwardly of the pivot pins 52, 52, is a pair of arms 56, 56 which extend upwardly and rearward from said arms 28, 28 and across the arms 46, 46 near the upper ends of the latter. In each arm 56 is formed a series of openings 58 adapted for selective alinement with the openings 46 in the :arms 46 to receive pins 61) whereby the brush may be secured in different pivotally ad'usted positions about the pins 52.

girl with and extending forwardly from the forward end of the frame A is a pair of spaced plates 62 between which is arranged a bar 64, pivoted intermediate its ends as at 66 to the forward ends of said plates 62. Said bar is provided forwardly of its pivot 66 with any suitable means such as a swivel member 68 for connection with any suitable draft means such, for example, as a truck, a

4 portion of which is indicated at 70, whereby my device as an entirety is adapted to be drawn over a surface to be smoothed, while rearwardly of its pivot 66 said bar is extended downwardly and rearwardly to provide a cam surface 72 for cooperation with a roller '24 on the lower end of a lever 76 which is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 78, between the plates 62. Normally the lever 76 occupies :the position shown in Fig. 2 in which position the bristles 42 of the broom C are in contact with the surface to be smoothed and are held against bearing too heavily against said surface by reason of the extreme rearlend portion of the bar 64 underlying and contacting with the forward end portion of the frame A. It will be noted, however, that in case of the broom C encountering an obstruction the pivot 66 will permit the forward end of the frame A to tilt downward whereby the broom may ride over such 00- stnuction. It also will be noted that by swinging the lever 76 rearwardly to the positien of Fig. 3 the cooperation of the roller 74 with the cam surface 72 will result in the forward end of the frame A being tilted downwardly and the rear end of said frame being tilted upwardly, whereby the brush C will be elevated to an inoperative position.

When my device is drawn over an irregular surface the stiff broom G acts to remove nigh spots in said surface and to sweep loose material into low spots in said surface, thereby effecting a surface smoothing action as is apparent. My device furthermore may, as aforesaid, and as is apparent, be used as an attachment for or in conjunction with a road machine, or as a smoothing unit independent of other apparatus.

I claim:-

1. Surface smoothing apparatus comprising a frame, wheels supporting said frame for tilting movements, a broom carried by said frame, a bar pivoted intermediately to said frame, means for attaching said bar to draft means. anda lever pivoted to said frame for cooperation with said bar to tilt said frame.

2. Surface smoothing apparatus comprising a frame, Wheels supporting said frame for tilting movements, a broom carried by said frame, a bar pivoted intermediately to said frame, means at one end of said bar for attaching same to draft means, the other end portion of said bar being formed to provide a cam surface, a lever pivoted to said frame, and a roller carried by said lever cooperating with said cam surface to tilt said frame.

3. Surface smoothing apparatus comprising a frame, wheels supporting said frame for tilting movements, a broom carried by said frame, a bar pivoted intermediately to said frame, means at one end of said bar for attaching same to draft means, the other end portion of said bar being formed to provide a cam surface, a lever pivoted to said frame, and a roller carried by said lever cooperating with said cam surface to tilt said frame, a portion of said bar being arranged for cooperation with said frame to prevent tilting of the latter in one direction.

4. Surface smoothing apparatus comprising a wheeled frame. a second frame mounted .on said wheeled frame for rotary adjustments about a vertical axis, a broom, an arm extending upwardly from said broom across a portion of said second mentioned frame, said arm having twoseries of spaced openings formed therein, a pin extending through a selected opening of one of said series and through a portion of said second mentioned frame to pivotally connect said broom to said second mentioned frame for swinging adjustments, a second arm pivoted to said second mentioned frame and extending across said first arm, said second arm having a series of openings therein any one of which is adapted for alinement with any one of the second series of openings in said first arm, and a pin engageable through any alined pair rio its

of openings in said arms to secure said broom in a pivotally adjusted position.

5. Surface smoothing apparatus comprising a frame, Wheels supporting said frame for tilting movements, a broom carried by said frame, a bar pivoted to said frame, means for attaching said bar to draft means, and means for elevating and lowering the bar and frame at their pivotal connection thereby to tilt the frame to move said broom to and from an operative position With respect to a surface to be smoothed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

SETH O'WEN. 

